“There’s no operation (needed),” Lamoriello said, as reported on the team's website. “It’s not an operative situation. It’s a shoulder injury and, as I said, it could be two, it could be four, it could be less, but certainly not more.”

Lamoriello said an X-ray Saturday on his shoulder "was fine," according to the website, which also reported Kovalchuk had an MRI on Sunday.

“Anytime you get an injury, you’re always relieved when it’s not something worse than it could be, but it’s not something you feel good about,” Lamoriello said.

Kovalchuk has 27 points (10 goals) this season.

"Injuries are a part of this," Devils coach Peter DeBoer told reporters after Saturday's game. "Everybody is dealing with them, so I think we have to be prepared for that. I think mentally coming into the season we're prepared that we're going to have to lose key people and be able to survive it. So no one is feeling sorry for yourself, and we'll get through it."